Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is gearing up to make his return to the MMA cage after taking a hiatus away from the sport to live out his boxing dreams. Though he lost both of his boxing fights, he earned respect from the combat sports community and even knocked down Tyson Fury.
Ngannou will make his Professional Fighters League debut on Oct. 19 when he faces the PFL heavyweight champion Renana Ferreira for the PFL Super Fight title. The event airs live on DAZN from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Casual MMA fans might not be familiar with Ferreira, but they should be. Ferreira is a force to be reckoned with. He stands at a whopping 6-foot-8 and has a formidable presence which he's backed up with his stellar performances in the PFL Smart Cage.
Ferreira is on a four-fight win streak, winning the 2023 PFL heavyweight title during the 2023 season. He rarely goes to decision and finished his last four opponents, three of them in the very first round. Ferreira most recently defeated the Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader when they faced off at the PFL champion vs. Bellator champion event in February. It took him just 21 seconds to finish Bader via TKO.
Both Ferreira and Ngannou are known for their punching power but both have also been on the receiving end of a highlight reel knockout. Ngannou suffered a brutal loss to Anthony Joshua that saw him flattened on the canvas and Ferreira saw something similar when he was knocked out by Ante Delija in 2022.
Both men will have something to prove on Oct. 19. Ngannou will need to prove he's still the scary heavyweight we've all grown to know and love and Ferreira will be looking to prove PFL champions can hold up against the UFC's best.
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